Kawasaki Microelectronics, Inc. (K-micro) in Japan has selected an 8051-compatible microcontroller core from CAST, Inc. for its new digital and mixed-signal control platform.

Focused on “Advanced Yet Affordable ASIC Technology™,” K-micro is a fabless semiconductor company that offers full-custom ASIC development and production for consumer electronics, computer systems, networking, and data storage customers worldwide. The new 8051-based platform will join K-micro’s already-wide array of advanced, proven, ASIC IP.

The R8051XC2 IP core from CAST is a high-speed 8-bit microcontroller with a configurable set of peripherals and functions and complete MCS®51instruction set compatibility.

"This 8051 IP combines high performance and ease of use to provide customers a quick and effective solution at an affordable price. We expect this valuable IP will contribute to increase our presence in the current tough market, especially in Asia," said Yusuke Yamamoto, K-micro senior manager, Marketing & Strategic Planning Department.

The 8051 IP IP core from CAST gives K-micro the following key advantages:

Leading-edge technology — The R8051XC2 is one of the fasted 8051 IP cores available, running 12.1 times faster than the original 8051.

The right system-level IP — The 8051 microcontroller is the smartest, most cost-effective choice for many data control and similar functions, whether in a deeply embedded system application or to offload a main processor in a complex system on chip (SoC).

Services for customer success — The 8051 development ecosystem is large and mature, and CAST has 10 years of supporting customers using it.

High-reliability ASICs — The R8051XC2 code has evolved over four generations, and been proven in hundreds of successfully shipping customer products.

CAST’s Japanese representative Spinnaker Systems, Inc. has worked closely with K-micro through the rigorous IP selection process, and will continue to provide local front-line support.